Delhi metro to be among top five by end 2018

Metro services will commence on the 21.56 kilometre long Majlis Park-Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus section of the Pink Line from tomorrow. With it Delhi Metro Railway Corporation (DMRC) will cover a network of 250 km.

Delhi Metro will have a 250-km long network from today and by the year-end, it is scheduled to have a 350-km operational length, positioning it among the top five Metro networks in the world, its Managing Director Mangu Singh said here.

Metro services will commence on the 21.56 kilometre long Majlis Park-Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus section of the Pink Line from today. With it Delhi Metro Railway Corporation (DMRC) will cover a network of 250 km.

"By the end of 2018, DMRC will be positioned among the top five Metro railways in the world with a 350-km long network," Singh said at an event on Mass Rapid Transportation System (MRTS) here.

Stating that the cost of construction per km of DMRC is much lower than that of Metro systems in Dhaka and Jakarta, he said it had achieved 85 to 90 per cent indigenisation in rolling stock.

"Except in the area of signalling system, where technology is fast upgrading, DMRC has achieved indigenisation in most areas relating to its operations," Singh said.

He said Bombardier, Alstom and BEML were manufacturing coaches for DMRC at facilities based in the country.

The railways is the best transportation system owing to factors like carrying capacity, environment-friendliness and energy efficiency, he added.